The Red Sox and Braves shared Fenway Park in 1914, with the "Miracle Braves" playing the latter part of their regular season at the ballpark before winning the World Series at Fenway Park in October. The ballpark also hosted plenty of amateur football and baseball, along with lacrosse, a field day attended by former President Theodore Roosevelt and a unique elephant show. Having purchased land on Brookline Avenue between Jersey Street and Lansdowne Street in 1913, New Hampshire Governor John Smith began to turn the property into a commercial building in 1914. Today, the structure, which was renamed the Jeano Building, is an important part of Fenway Park.

The Red Sox

Record: 91-62, 2nd in American LeagueManager: William F. CarriganAttendance: 481,359

In his first full season on the job, Bill Carrigan led the 1914 Red Sox to 91 wins, sloughing off the disappointment of the previous season to achieve a second-place finish (8 ½ games behind the Philadelphia Athletics).

A third major league, the Federal League, launched in time for the 1914 season and drove up salaries. Red Sox owner Joseph Lannin (who bought out the remaining holdings of the Taylor family on May 14 and thus became sole owner) invested heavily in player salaries and the Red Sox had the highest payroll in baseball.

The Red Sox drew well and no park in the league sold more seats than Fenway. The Red Sox offense wasnt nearly as good as it was in 1913 but their pitching dramatically improved, with a team ERA of 2.36. Hubert Dutch Leonard, 22, went 19-5 and his miniscule earned run average of 0.96 remains the lowest in the history of the modern-era in Major League Baseball. Teammate Rube Fosters 1.70 ERA was second in the league and at one point he threw 42 consecutive scoreless innings.

Tris Speaker came through with another strong season, leading the team in several offensive categories and starring on defense, with two of his patented unassisted double plays in 1914. Weighing less than 140 pounds, shortstop Everett Scott debuted on Opening Day. Despite his small stature, Scott went on to establish himself as the Iron Man of baseball, holding the record for most consecutive games played until Lou Gehrig broke his record in 1933.

With the Boston Braves winning the 1914 World Series at Fenway Park, and both Boston clubs leading their respective leagues in attendance, Boston truly was the hub of baseball in 1914.

Renovations

Having bought a vacant lot at 70 Brookline Avenue (between modern-day Gates A and E) in January 1913, New Hampshire Governor John Smith began turning the space into a functional commercial area in 1914. Over time, various auto companies and media outlets have called this area home, including the New England Sports Network, which launched in 1984. Known today as the Jeano Building, this space currently houses many of the Red Sox offices and owes its name to longtime Red Sox Owner Tom Yawkey, whose Jeano Company (named after his wife, Jean) bought the 70 Brookline Avenue plot in 1955. Together, the Jeano Building, the Fenway plot the Taylor family bought in early 1911 and the Fenway Garage structure completed in 1913 comprise the three-part facility we know today as Fenway Park.

Non-Red Sox Baseball At Fenway Park

For the second time in three years, Fenway Park hosted the World Series. However, in 1914, it was the Braves and not the Red Sox who represented Boston. On August 3, 1914, Red Sox President Joseph Lannin sent a telegram to Braves President James Gaffney offering the use of Fenway Park (free of charge) in place of the smaller South End Grounds where the Braves played their home games. A month later, on September 3, Gaffney wired Lannin that the Braves would play their remaining home games at the American League park.

Though the Braves had used Fenway Park before, they officially called the ballpark home for the rest of the 1914 regular season, starting with a Labor Day doubleheader against the New York Giants on September 7. Two days later, in the second game of another doubleheader at Fenway Park, the Braves' George Davis pitched the first no-hitter in the ballpark's history, a 7-0 win over Philadelphia. The "Miracle Braves" went on to win the National League pennant and swept the 1914 World Series, winning Games Three and Four at Fenway Park.

In addition to the Braves, a few high school and college baseball teams were able to play at Fenway Park in 1914 and on August 17, a five-inning, rain-shortened game was played as part of a Progressive Party field day that was attended by former President Theodore Roosevelt.

September 7, 1914 Braves Split Labor Day Doubleheader With Giants

Newspaper accounts estimated the crowd for the September 7 morning/afternoon doubleheader between the surging Boston Braves and John McGraw's New York Giants to be anywhere from 73,000 to 80,000 fans. The crowds began gathering on Lansdowne Street at 7:30 AM for the morning game, which was scheduled for 10 AM. Ticket scalpers made easy money hawking $1.00 grandstand tickets for $5.00 and $0.75 general admission tickets for $2.50. Once the stands were filled, the overflow crowd was allowed to spill onto the outfield and many more perched themselves at the base of Duffy's Cliff.

The throng's cheers could be heard on Beacon Hill and Boston Common as they roared at the pre-game antics of Braves shortstop and Springfield native Rabbit Maranville who entertained the capacity crowd by taking throws while sitting on the second base bag and throwing strikes home while remaining seated.

The Braves captured the first game in dramatic fashion, as Johnny Evers stroked a two-run double off Christy Mathewson to secure a 5-4 decision. The second game was a 10-1 Giants rout marred by the near riot precipitated by New York outfielder Fred Snodgrass, who thumbed his nose to both the Braves and the crowd after being hit by a Lefty Tyler pitch. The crowd reacted by pelting Snodgrass with a barrage of garbage. Amidst the chaos Boston Mayor James M. Curley, demanding that Snodgrass be ejected from the game, scampered onto the field and called for a police escort for the Giants' outfielder. Despite the disappointing loss in the second game, the Braves had done nothing less than capture both the heart and imagination of Boston in one dramatic day at Fenway Park.

October 12-13, 1914 The 1914 World Series At Fenway Park

After taking the first two games of the 1914 World Series from the heavily-favored Athletics in Philadelphia, the "Miracle Braves" returned to Fenway Park and took Game Three in a 12-inning thriller. Looking to close out the A's in Game Four, Braves captain Johnny Evers stroked a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. Before a crowd that was slightly smaller than the Labor Day throng from a month earlier, the Braves held onto their 3-1 lead, sweeping Philadelphia in one of the greatest upsets in World Series history.

More Than a Ballpark™

One of the largest crowds in Fenway Park's history came to the ballpark on June 6, 1914. However, they did not come to see the Red Sox. That morning, fifty thousand children and their parents filled the park to welcome three elephants that the children had purchased for the Franklin Park Zoo with money they had raised in increments mostly of pennies and small change. A little more than two months later, on August 17, 1914, former President Theodore Roosevelt visited Fenway Park to headline a Progressive Party field day, which included various events and competitions. Fenway Park also hosted several college and high school football games in 1914, as well as lacrosse early in the summer.

1914 Non-Baseball Events At Fenway Park

June 1

Boston 7, University of Toronto 2 (Lacrosse)

June 6

Pennies for Elephants Day

August 17

Progressive Party Field Day featuring an appearance by Theodore Roosevelt

October 30

High School of Commerce 7, Boston Latin 0 (Football)

October 31

Boston College 28, Norwich 6 (Football)

November 4

Boston English 10, Mechanic Arts 0 (Football)

November 6

High School of Commerce 34, Dorchester High 12 (Football)

November 12

High School of Commerce 17, Mechanic Arts 0 (Football)

November 13

Volkmann School 13, Noble & Greenough 7 (Football)

November 18

Boston Latin 7, Mechanic Arts 7 (Football)

November 19

Boston English 19, High School of Commerce 0 (Football)

November 22

Dartmouth 40, Syracuse 0 (Football)

November 26

Boston Latin 3, Boston English 3 (Football)

November 26

Boston College 14, Catholic University 0 (Football)

November 28

Ham Fish's College All-Stars 13, Carlisle Indian School 6 (Football)

December 9

Somerville High 7, DePaul (IL) Academy 0 (Football)

June 6, 1914 Pennies For Elephants

It remains one of the biggest single crowds in Fenway Parks near century and it endures as one of the most heartwarming events in Boston history.

Newspaper accounts had the Fenway Park gates closing at 9:30 AM to prevent over-crowding on the morning of Saturday June 6, 1914, as an overflow crowd of 50,000 children and their parents filled Fenway Park to welcome the elephant trio of Mollie, Waddy and Tony to Boston. The trio had been purchased for $6,700 with money raised (mostly in increments of pennies, nickels and dimes) by over 75,000 local schoolchildren.

TThe crowd was treated to a show that included Captain Bemo and his troupe of clowns, the acrobatic duo of Daly and Reno courtesy of Keiths vaudeville theater, the English High School Drum and Bugle Corps, Snyders Serenaders, a hornpipe dance by 200 Boston schoolchildren and speeches by Boston Mayor James Michael Curley and Massachusetts Governor David Walsh. Walsh would later write of the event:

The feature of the day at Fenway Park which impressed me most was the mighty enjoyment of the kiddies. It was an inspiring sight to look on that sea of child faces and to witness their expressions of pleasure when the three elephants purchased by them were led on the field.

It was the largest crowd that I ever saw assembled in one place in my life. It was a truly remarkable occasion and it gave me great satisfaction to be able to participate in it, acting for the children of New England in presenting Mollie, Waddy, and Tony to the city of Boston. I wish to especially compliment the police for the orderly and kind manner in which they handled the great crowd of children. (Boston Post, June 7, 1914)

October 31, 1914 Boston College 28, Norwich 6

In a game originally slated to be played in Montpelier, Vermont, the Norwich University football team played Boston College's squad on Halloween, in what was to be the first of the Eagles' many home games at Fenway Park.

The correspondent's report from the Boston Post described the action as follows:

"The best football team that has represented Norwich University this season went down to defeat yesterday afternoon at the hands of the Boston College football team to the tune of 28 to 6. The game was played at Fenway Park, and was one of the finest exhibitions of the new style of open play that has been seen in Boston this year. The Norwich team was greatly strengthened by the half back of Bishop who has been kept out of the lineup until today because of his condition." (Boston Post, November 1, 1914)